Major Ninja Nerf on Crafting Gear

[Nexxus]

The reason that its optimal and not required is because many people like to have gear just for looks. This nerf on gear was completely needed, it will stop all those lv. 12s wearing Vintage Haubys, and etc.

The real reason, it was because using a dodore doublet at Lv.30 was giving the same as a Lv.30 stuff, or even better stats.
Now it's no more of that, i've noticed myself with my Lv.40 stuff as i'm Lv.34, i'll have to find some new stuff i guess.

[Fanzeron]

Damn it! I knew I should've lvl up my craft before the patch. Most of my crafts are relatively close, but 2 of them are very low. And I don't want to get low crafting gear. I guess I'll "cheat" the high sp rewards from my higher crafts and claim them while being in the lower ones.

[JackDaniels]

Damn it! I knew I should've lvl up my craft before the patch. Most of my crafts are relatively close, but 2 of them are very low. And I don't want to get low crafting gear. I guess I'll "cheat" the high sp rewards from my higher crafts and claim them while being in the lower ones.

It doesn't work like that.

[Valmonte]

i hear you man, there are many aspects of this update which are garbage, id under stand if they had a piece of gear every level but they don't so your getting gimped for no reason at all.

they should have just did a within -/+ 5 levels you take no negative hits.

[MariyaShidou]

It does, for now.

[Deminia]

What was well advertised was that there would be 4 levels of gear:

grey = more than 5 levels below you, "hey, time to upgrade!"
green = your own level and up to 5 levels below your level "optimal, full benefit"
yellow = up to 5 levels above your level "caution - a little to high for you to wear right now, reduced effectiveness"
red = over 5 levels above you "way too high, no benefit besides cosmetic"

Now - where the OP is having an issue, and one I agree is different from what I had expected, is the yellow category gear. Gear even 1 level above you gives you no benefits besides defense. That is essentially the same as red gear to a crafter - we don't need defense at all. I had expected a reduction in any of the stats yellow gear provides - but not an entire removal of those benefits (besides defense).

Something along the lines of this is more what I expected:

Spiffy Outfit gives a bonus to crafting of +6, and control +12 at optimal (green level)
Spiffy Outfit gives a reduced bonus to crafting of +3 and control +6 at yellow level
Spiffy Outfit gives nothing but defense at red level

[Nexxus]

Its -4/+4 (or 3) for now. -5/+5 would have been better tho.

But hey, guess what, there's some powerfull item to buy in grand company with seal for crafter.

[AreeyaJaidee]

Lol
/10ofthem

[zzapp]

What was well advertised was that there would be 4 levels of gear:

grey = more than 5 levels below you, "hey, time to upgrade!"
green = your own level and up to 5 levels below your level "optimal, full benefit"
yellow = up to 5 levels above your level "caution - a little to high for you to wear right now, reduced effectiveness"
red = over 5 levels above you "way too high, no benefit besides cosmetic"

Now - where the OP is having an issue, and one I agree is different from what I had expected, is the yellow category gear. Gear even 1 level above you gives you no benefits besides defense. That is essentially the same as red gear to a crafter - we don't need defense at all. I had expected a reduction in any of the stats yellow gear provides - but not an entire removal of those benefits (besides defense).

Something along the lines of this is more what I expected:

Spiffy Outfit gives a bonus to crafting of +6, and control +12 at optimal (green level)
Spiffy Outfit gives a reduced bonus to crafting of +3 and control +6 at yellow level
Spiffy Outfit gives nothing but defense at red level

Exactly, Deminia - or something very much along that line.

The fact that SE spent the time to color code gear vs. optimal level, and explain the significance in the update notes, leads me to believe this is, in fact, not working as intended. The way it works right now for crafting stats is if you're below the optimal rank you get NOTHING. Doesn't matter if you're 1 level away from optimal or 49. If you're out of class you get NOTHING. Surely, something is wrong here?

Both crafts I'm currently leveling, alchemist R45 and culinarian R28 were, imho, quite 'reasonably' geared pre patch. I am within 2 levels of thermal alembic, and within 3 levels for dodore, vintage thighboots and vintage smity gloves. For culinarian I'm within 2 ranks of some R30 gear I was using, like vintage doublet vest, canvas apron, canvas wedge cap, etc. I.E. - not like I'm expecting something unreasonable like equipping my R11 armorer with dodore and expecting no significant penalty.

Anyhow, I would sincerely appreciate a response from the development team clarifying if this is working as intended, or if this was a 'miss' in the update. 1.19 was massive, with so many changes - this is now very much a new game in many respects. So it certainly would be understandable and wouldn't surprise me at all if this was a 'miss'. I'd just like to know.

Best regards.

[Fleur]

I was a little miffed by this too. The new gear is required class/level, the "dated" gear is being phased out, and there really isn't much in the way of vintage/special gear. So why such huge penalties for being the wrong level? For the soon-to-be-few non restricted gears we have left, it seems too harsh. Nice for RP'ers, but otherwise it may as well just all be restricted. Some penalty is needed but this seems like overkill to me.

Oh well, I'm going to buy new gear for my battle and gathering classes anyway, may as well go all out and get new crafting gear too . . .